Pattern chain for knitting machines and the like



N 1945. s. c. DOUGllTY I 2,388,311

PATTERN CHAIN FOR KNITTING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 14, 1944 Xiggfil l g i Patented Nov. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE- PATTERNCHAIN FOR KNITTING MACHINES \AND HE LIKE Samuel C. Doughty, Perkasle,Pa. Application August 14, 1944, Serial No. 549,418

Claims.

' ling thevarious mechanisms of the machine and bringing the same intooperation at the proper times.

On most of thefull fashioned knitting machines, as well as on varioussimilar automatic machines, there are employed pattern chains which areso constructed and arranged that the same may be lengthened'or shortenedas may be necessary to permit the control of the various mechanismswhich are brought into operation during a complete cycle of theoperations of the. machine. As

is well known. in connection with such pattern chains, there areemployed detachable buttons of various sizes, shapes and styles whichare mounted at desired locations on the chain for the purpose ofbringing the various mechanisms of the machine into play at the desiredtimes.

However, in the use of such pattern chains it sometimes happens that thebuttons become loosened on their respective links and slide sidewisethereon with the result that the nisms ofthe machine may be caused tooperate at improper times and sometimes in conflict with each other. Inthis manner not only is the product of the machine improperly made butalso, in many instances, the various mechanisms of the ,machine itselfare badly damaged or destroyed.

It also happens, when such buttons are moved s deways even to a slightextent, said buttons will engage the supporting portions of the sprocketdrum, and in some instances cause the transverse portion of the chainlink to be bent so that the same will not thereafter function properly.

The principal'object of the present invention is to provide a patternchain-for knitting machines, and other automatic machines of a simi-'lar character, which is so constructed andarranged as to preventsidewise movement of the chain buttons on the transverse bar portions ofthe chainlinks: v

A further object of the invention is to provide a pattern chain of thecharacter aforesaid in connection with which buttons of. the usual tynesand as at present in common use, may beemseveral mechawhich is soconstructed and arranged as to provide an adequate bearing for theseveral links of the chain at points wherein the same are engaged bythesupporting portions of the sprocket drum. 7 With the foregoingobjects in view, my invention contemplates thev provision of a novelform of pattern chain, for knitting machines and the like, which,however, may be readily fabricated without adding materially to the costthereof.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will bemore readily understood from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a top or plan'view of a portion of a pattern chain embodyingthe main features of the present invention and having typical buttonsmounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation oi. the portion of the pattern chain shownin Fig, 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of one of the links, taken onthe line 3-3 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 iliustratinga modified form;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating another modifiedform;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig.6; and

Fig. 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 8.-8 of Fig. 1.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingherein are illustrative merely, and that various changes and modifica- 1from a-heavy gage wire, each link havin a transverse bar portion l0 andhaving its ends bent and shaped to'form hooks ii to engage the endportions of the adjacent links. thereby to form a chain the parts ofwhich may be readily detached from each other at any point in the lengththereof. and rejoined either with a larger or smaller number of linkswhenever'it is required to reployed, therebymaking it unnecessary toprocure speciallymade buttons.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pattern chain of thecharacter aforesaid arrange the chain for adifferent pattern. In thecase of a stocking knitting machine the pattern chain is ordinarilyprovided with a link for each course of stitches in thestocking, or thatportion thereof which is knitted on the machine. The end formation ofthe several links of the chain may be and preferably is the same as thatoi the chains at present in common use.

In the particular chain shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the buttons maybe disposed transversely at three. different positions between thoseportions of the transverse bars it which are supported by the sprocketdrum (not shown) over which the chain is guided at the point where thepattern buttons engage the several levers (not shown) which control theevarious mechanisms of the machine. Plain buttons such as are shown at l2may be employed at such sidewise locations on the links. However, thecapacity of the chain is increased in the usual manner by providingoverhanging buttons of the type shown-at l2a which may extend over thoseportions of the chain links which rest upon thesupporting parts of thesprocket drum.

Those portions of the chain links to which the buttons are secured arestraight, as-at l3, and lie in the principal axis of the transverse barportion of said link. However, between the straight portions i3 01' thetransverse bars III of the several links there are provided sinuousformations ll of the wire which in effect provide obstructions whicheffectively serve to prevent sidewise displacement of the buttons whichare disposed on the straight portions l3 therebetween.

The buttons l2,or l2a may be of any of the common types which arereadilyprocurable in the open market and which ordinarily consist of abody portion IS, a clamping plate .IB, and a clamping screw ll extendingthrough the plate l6 and threaded in thebody portion l 'of the button.The body portion it of the button and' the clamping plate 16 thereof isin each instance provided with the usual transverse grooves, one pair ofwhich is of such diameter as to grip the link bar ill, the other pair ofwhich is 01' a larger; diameter so as to permit the requisite freedom ofpivotal movement of the bar of the adjacent link. 01 course, where thelever to be actuated by the button lies in the same plane as thesupporting portion of the sprocket drum, the button used is of the typeshown at Ma with-the actuating portion I50 of said button extending overthe sinuous part I4 of the transverse bars Ill of the several links uponwhich said button is mounted.

- In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing there is illustrated a modified formof chain link in which the shoulders for preventing sidew-ise movementof the buttons on the link bars are provided by punching and forming themetal by means of round punches to provide projections l8 which Y areformed from the metal pressed up by the punches.

In Figs. 6 and '7 of the drawing there is shown another form of link inwhich the shoulders are provided by deforming the metalby means ofsuitable compression'tools having inclined faces which will tend toforce the metal outwardly to provide the desired projections l9 at thenecessary locations It will be seen that by the foregoing arrangementthe pattern buttons when once arranged upon the chain at the properlocations will be eflfectively prevented from being displaced sidewiseon the bar portions of the links of the chain, and accidents to themachine as well as misformations of the products, by reason 01! suchdisplacement, will be effectively prevented.

It will, of course, be readily understood by those familiar with devicesor this character that it will not be necessary to make up the entirechain with the special links of the present invention, as ordinary plainlinks may be used where there-is a run of the chain without any patternefl'ects ito'be controlled. Also, it will be readily apparentthat, ifdesired, each alternate link only may be-of the special typecontemplated by the present invention and that the other alternate linksmay be of the ordinary plain ty e.

I claim: A,

1. A pattern chain of the 'haracter described comprising a plurality oflinks made from heavy wire bent and formed to provide co-acting endportions and transversely extending bar portions,

pattern buttons mounted thereon, the transverse bar portion of each linkhaving spaced straight parts adapted to receive the pattern buttons anda plurality of parts between said straight parts.

each provided with limiting projections positioned to confine thepattern buttons against sidewise displacement on the chain links.

2. A pattern chain of the character described comprising a plurality oflinks made from heavy wire bent and formed to provide co-acting endportions and transversely extending bar portions, pattern buttonsmounted thereon, the transverse bar portion of each link having spacedstraight parts adapted to receive the pattern buttons and a plurality ofparts between said straight parts I each provided with limitingprojections extending outwardly and positioned to confine the patternbuttons'against sidewise displacement on the chain links.

3. Apattem chain of the character described comprising a plurality oflinks made from heavy wire bent and formed to provide co-acting endportions and transversely extending bar portions, pattern buttonsmounted thereon, the transverse bar portion of each link having spacedstraight parts adapted to receive the pattern buttons and a plurality ofparts between said straight parts each having the metal thereofdisplaced outwardly to provide limiting projections positioned toconfine the pattern buttons against sidewise displacement on the chainlinks. 7

4. A.pattern chain of the character described comprising a-plurality oflinks made'from heavy wire bent and formed to provide co-acting endportions and transversely extending bar portions upon which patternbuttons are adapted to be mounted, the transverse bar portions havingstraight'parts adapted to receive the pattern buttons and parts betweensaid straight parts formed in sinuous contour to provide limitingprojections for confining the pattern buttons against sidewisedisplacement on the chain links.

5. A pattern chain of the character described comprising a plurality oflinks made from heavy gage wire bent and formed to provide co-acting endportions and transversely extending bar portions upon which patternbuttons are adapted to be mounted, the transverse bar portions haw'ngstraight parts adapted to receive the pattern buttons and parts betweensaid straight parts formed in sinuous contour disposed outwardly withrespect to the straight parts thereby to provide

